Matrix selecting and delivery mechanism for composing-machines.



W. E. BERTRA'M.

MATRIX SELECTING AND DELIVERY MECHANISM EOE GOMPOSING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY i -1909.

gm ggag Patented May 9, 1.911.

UNITED @TATBE PATENT OFFlQE,

WILLIA1VI E. IBERTRAM, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO MERGENTHALER LINO'IYPE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MATRIX SELECTING -ID DELIVER T ZMECHANISZVI FOR COMPOSING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 6, 1909,

Patented May 9, 1911.

Serial No. 506,088.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, WiLLL-irr lhmns'r and State of New York, have invented new ing-lrlachincs, of which the following is a s poci ficati on My present invention relates to improve meals in monoline composing machines, and

itis more particularly applicable to ma-.

chines of the type wherein matrices bearing appropriate characters are selected and assembled, preparatory to the casting of a line of type matter therefrom, and it has for its object to provide novel and etlicicnt means whereby the capacity of the machine may be greatly increased by providing for the use of a plurality of fonts of matrices any one of which fonts may be selected and brought into use by the operator, the font or fonts not in use being held in an inactive condition. and this result is accomplished by the present invention without the necessity of removing one font of matrices from the machine and substituting another there for so that a change from one font to another can be made quickly and with facility.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved delivery and font selecting mechanism combined with a matrix n'xagazine or storing means which is capable ofcontaining two or more fonts of matrices whereby the objects above described may be effectually accomplished, the mechanism involving relatively few parts and it is capable of operating rapidly and with cor taint-y.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvements, and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointedout particularly in the claims atthe end of the specificationv In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 3 represents in side elevation, a font selecting and delivery mechanisn'l of a monolinc comfinu'rrmiw, a, citizen of the United States, rcsiding at Brooklyn. in the county of Kings posing machine constructed in accordance witlrthe present invention; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the parts shown in Fig. .l as and useful lmprovoments 1n Matrix Selecti ing and l.)cllvery Mechanism for Compos- I with parts broken away; and Fig. 6 represcnts a. front view of the construction shown in Fig. 4.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in the several views.

la the accompanying drawing, I have shown certain embodiments of the invention which may be used to especial advantage in monolimvcomposing machines of the type disclosed in Letters Patent, No; 605,141'

granted June 7 1898. It will be understood, however, that those forms of the invention shown in the drawing and to be particu larly described in the present specification are given as examples, it being understood that certain modificationsand changes may be made in the mechanism in order that the invention may be applied to the best advantage in each particular case.

The present invention relates especially to the font selecting and matrix delivery mechanism and it is, therefore, deemed sutlicient to illustrate this particular part of the machine, the general construction of the inonoline machine as disclosed in the Letters Patent above mentioned being well known to those skilled in the art. According to the present invention, the magazine or storage chamber is provided with channels each of which contains matrices of the same specie. In order, however, to increase the capacity of the machine to such an extent as toperl of in a line,

mit the use of two or more fonts of matrices, the magazine or storage chamber will be provided with multiple of channels agreeing in number to the number of fonts it is desired to employ. In the present enibodiments of the inventigm, seven specie of matrices are employed for each font, there being fourteen matrix-receiving channels in the magazine in case two fonts are to be used and, in using three fonts, twentyone matrix-rcceiving channels will be employed. Obviously, the invention is not limited to the number of fonts that can be used, as the capacity of the magazine can be increased in order to accommodate the additional fonts of matrices and, as will be hereinafter described, the selecting and delivery mechanism for thematrices can be to accommodate different numbers of fonts.

In that form of the invent-ion shown in the accompanying drawing, a delivery gate 1 is shown which is-of the type disclosed in the Letters Patent aforementioned, this gate being guided to reciprocate and is provided on its forward end with a shelf 2 which controls the opening through which the matrix bars pass-from the respective channels of the magazine to the assembling point, this shelf when the gate is in its normal forward position serving to close the delivery passage from the magazine. One of these gates is provided for each matrix channel of the magazine, and a spring 3 acts upon each gate tending to retract or open it, these several gates being individually operative.

Each gate has a controlling projection 4 which in the instance shown depends therefrom, and a detent 5 is provided for controlling the retracting or opening movement of the gate under the action of itsspring. In the present instance, the detent or pawl 5 is pivoted at a point intermediate its ends to a suitable part of the machine whercbythis detent or pawl may have a rocking movement. One end of the detent is provided with a dog (5 which is arranged to engage behind or cooperate with the controlling projection on the gate and thereby detain the latter in a closed position, a rocking movement of the detent, however, serving to free the dog from the'controlling projection on the gate and thereby permit the latter-lo quickly open under the action of its actuating spring. ()ncof these dctents is provided for each delivery gate.

The delivery of the matrices from the magazine in this type of composing machines is controlled by a l cy-board which is mz inipulatcd by the operator, and suitable means is provided for releasing the appropriate detents and consequently the delivery of the matrices during the assembling therepreparatory to the casting operation. According to the present invention, I employ a set of detent releasing levers 7 readily adapted .dctents, this form t-rate.

.15, these which preferably correspond in number to the number of specie of matrices for any one font. For example, in the present emb0diments of the invention there are seven specie of matrices and it will be sutlicient to cmployseven detent releasing levers, although a plurality of fonts may be used. According to the present invention, however, each detent releasing lever serves to release preferably a' number of. detcnts corresponding to the number of fonts of matrices with which the magazine is supplied. In the construction shown, eachdetent lever is piv oted or fulcrumedat a point intermediate its length to a suitable partof the machine so as to turn about the axis 8, and one end of j this lever, the upper-end in the present instance, is formed into an arm 9. This part of the detent lever serves to release the detentsand, in that form of the invention shown in Figs. l-3 inclusive, it is of a Width suflicient to engage and release two adjacent of the invention being adapted to operate with two fonts of matrices. Each detent lever is operated in an appropriate manner from the key-board which it is considered unnecessary to illus In the present instance, each detent lever is connected to a stop-controlling'slide 10 which is thrown forwardly in the usual manner by the manipulation of the corresponding key of the key-board, each of these slides being connected to their respective detent levers by links 11 and the appropriately arranged bail rods 12. It has been previously indicated that when two fonts of matrices are provided for in the magazine, each detent lever will simultaneouslyrelease two dctents. In order, however, to permit the delivery of a matrix from one font and toprevcnt the delivery of a matrix from theothcr font, I provide a font sclectingand delivery controlling device which in the the invention acts to lock the gates for the font not in use. In that form of the inven tion shown in Figs. 13 inclusive, this" font selccting and delivery controlling device comprises a rock shaft 13 which preferably extends transversely and at a suitable distance from the rear ends of the delivery gates, and this shaft is provided with two series of locking arms or'projections l4 and arms proceeding from the shaft in different angular directions and, moreover, they are arranged in alternating relation and are spaced soas to agree with the spacing of the delivery gates. The arms 14. and 15 are preferably of such a'length that when the shaft 1.3is turned so as to bring either set or series of arms into locking engagement with the rear ends of the delivery gates, suchrgatcs as are engaged by these arms will be pushed forwardly into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1, the

present embodiments of rear edge of the controlling projection 4 on the locked or detained gates being pushed forward to provide a clearance that will insure a reengagement of the dog 6 of the respective detent when the latter returns to its normal locked position. When one series of; looking or controlling arms is in locking engagement with the delivery gates of one font, the other series of locking or control- 10 ling arms occupy such a position as to pergates with reference to the fonts of matrices, :rqmck change from one font to another: can

be made. Different device's can be provided for operating the font selecting and contl'OllllhQ; device whereby the same may be conveniently manipulatedby the machine operator. In the present instance, 1 have shown the shhft 13 as provided with a era nk arm 16 to which a rod 17 is attached, tl.is rod having a suitable handle 18 \vlurel'iy it may be manipulated, and it is also provided with a number of notches 19 corresponding to the nmnber of fonts that may be (1011- tained at one time in the magazine, these notches being arranged to-coiiperatc with a "suitable locking plate 20 and, moreover,

these notches are so positioned that the machine will be in condition to operate with one or another font according to which notch 1s 1n locking position.

Theprescnt invention provides a font sclectingand delivery mechanism for machines of this class whercbyditlierent mun bers of fonts may be easily provided for. For example, 1n Figs. 4, 5 and 6, I have shown meanswhereby three ditterent fonts may be combined in the. same machine and the machine may be quickly set to operate with any one of the fonts. In this instance, there are twenty-one delivery gates to correspond -with twenty-one matrix-receiving channels of the magazine, there being for instance seven different specie of matrices.

to each font, the matrices. of similar specie,

but of the different fonts,-b.eing arranged ad acent to one another. In this instance,

those portions of the detent releasing lovers are widened so that each detent lever may simultaneously release three adjacent detents, and the rock shaft 21 which is similar to the rock shaft 13 in thetwo-font arrangement is provided with three series of gate controlling arms 22,23 and 24 arranged in suitable angular relation, asshown in Fig.

5. Each series of arms on the shaft'fll. is. of such a number and arrangement that fwhen brought into engagement with the rear ends of the corresponding delivery gates, all of the delivery gates of two of the fonts will be held from opening movenu-nt, while all of the delivery gates of the remaining or third fontwill be free to open when released by their respective detents. Any suitable means may be provided for rotating the shaft 21 whereby any one of the three series of arms may be brought into'action. lnthc present instance, I have shown a shaft 25 which is connected by gearing preferably of increasing ratio, to the r-u-l; shaft 21, this shaft 95 being provided at a convenient point with an operating lover or part. 27 which las suitable means for retaining it 'in any one of three positions, it

being shown as having a dog 28 which may engage any one of a series of notches 9/.) formed in a sector 30.

The operation of the invention may be briefly described as follows: Assuming that the different specie of matrices of two or more fonts are arrangml in alternating relation -with the similar specie of matrices of the ditlrrentfonts next to one anoth' and that the font seleetingand locking device has been set. so that the. arms thereon engage and push .i'orwardly the delivery gates of the font or fonts not in use. it will be understood that the delivery gates for the font which is to bc-used are free to open when properly released from the key-board. Upon manipulation of the l{c v-board, the appropriate detent lever will nu-rate to shunt taneously release a number of: pawls corfrom the magazine, the gate or gates, horvever, which is or are locked by the font selecting device will be held in forward or closed position, although the detent or detcuts controlling such gates are released. By adjusting the font selecting device, ohviousl y, any desired font contained inthe magazine may be brought into use. The usual restoring means for the delivery gates, such as used in monoline composing n'iaehines of this class may be used for returning the gates to closed position.

The present invention provides simple and efficient means whereby the capacity of'a composing machine may be increased to such an e'vtent as to enable two or more fonts of matrices to be combined in t =..1'1nachine,any

- each fcnt'of matrices, detents individual to tween the delivery one of which fonts maybe delay and other objections incident to the removing of one font from the machine and the substitution therefor of another font as heretofore practiced, and the present invention is especially advantageous, as it only requires an increase in the capacity of the magazine to accommodate the additional font or fonts of matrices, and a correspond ing widening of those port-ions of the detent levers which engage and release the detents, it being unnecessary to increase the number of detent levers, nor is it necessary to modify the key-board of the machine or its relative parts. The font selecting and controlling device also is of such a construction that certainty in the operation of the delivery gates, corresponding to the font of matrices in use, is insured while those not in use are positively held from operation and, .moreover,'tl1e clearance provided hegates not in use and their respective detentsinsures a relocking of such gates by their, respective detents during the changefrom one font to another font.

I claim as my invention 1. In a composing machine, the combination of a-plurality of delivery gates capable of controlling the delivery of matrices of a plurality of fonts, detents coiiperative with and individual to said gates, key-operated detent levers having means capable of releasing at one operation gates for a plurality of fonts, and a selecting device adjustable to permit' delivery movement of the gates of any one selected font and to look from delivery movement the ren'mining gates.

In a composing machine, the combination of a plurality of series of gates for controlling the deliver 1 fonts, detents individual to said gates, means capable of releasing the detents for gates of different series, and a font selecting device operative to prevent-deliver movement of all gates except those of the same series.

3. In a composing machine, the combination of a plurality of series of gates for controlling the delivery of matrices of different fonts, a series of gates being provided for said gates, key-operated detent levers each having means capable ofreleasing at one operation detents for gates of more than one series, and a font selecting device adjustable to prevent delivery movement of all gates except those of one selected series.

4. In a composing machine. the combination of a plurality of gates for controlling the delivery of matrices of ditlerent fonts, detents individual to said gates, key-operated means capable of releasm at one operation more than one of said etents, and a quickly and easily 1 device for brought into use by the operator without the of matrices of ditl'erent permitting delivery movement of the gates for one matrix font only,

5. In a composing machine, the combination of a plurality of gates for controlling the delivery of matrices of different fonts, controlling detents individual to said gates, and a detent lever capable of simultaneously engaging and releasing a plurality of detents. I

6. In a composing machine, the combination of a plurality of gates for controlling the delivery of matrices of ditferent fonts, detents individual to said gates, and a detent lever having a widened portion capable of simultaneously engaging and releasing a plurality of detents.

7. In a composing machine, the combinationof a plurality of gates for controlling the delivery of matrices of different fonts, controlling detents individual to said gates and arranged adjacent to one another, and, a detent lever common to a plurality of detents and having a widened portion capable of engaging and simultaneously releasing a plurality of detents.

tion of a plurality of matrix deliverin gates, detents individual to said ga'tesang arranged in adjacent relation, and a detent lever having a portion of a width to engage and simultaneously release a plurality of said detents.

9. In a composing machine, the combination of a plurality of series of gates for con trolling the delivery of matrices of 'different fonts, detents individual to said gates, detent lovers each having a portion of a width to the gates correspomling to matrices bearing characters of the same .kind but of different fonts, and a font selecting device capable of locking from delivery movement all except those for a single selected font.

10. In a composingmachine, the. combination of a series of delivery gates, detents individual to for holding the same ment, and a locking the gate and capable ance between said from delivery movedevice cooperative with of maintaining a cleargate and its detent.

In a, composing machine, the combina and cooperative with said gatesengage and release detents for gates 11. In a composingmachine, the combination of a dividual to the gates, means for onsly releasing a plurality of said detents, and a. selecting device capable of locking one of said gates'from delivery movement and for maintaining a clearance between said gate and its respective detent.

'12. In a composing machine, the combina tion of a plurality of series controlling the delivery of matriees'of different fonts, one series of gates being r0- vidcd for each font, detents individua to said gates, means capable of releasinjsimultaueously the detents for gates of dtfersimultaneplurality of gates, detents inof gates for ent series, and a font selecting device C0111- prising an adjustable member having looking .arms thereon correspondiiig to rind adapted to coiiperate With and 100k gates of 5 one series or the other according to the position of said member.

In testimony whereof I havehereuiito set I m fi h'and iii presence of two subscribing witnesses,

WILLIAM E BERTRAM.

Witnesses CLARENCE A. BATEMAN, ROBERT EVERETT. 

